1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the automated packaging of transportable spools of wire, most typically heavier gauges of wire such as bale binding wire.
2. Related Art
Wire is typically packaged and transported in spools. More precisely, lengths of wire are wound in spirals which form a cylinder as the wire accumulates. A central, axial empty space is also cylindrical so that the finished volume of wound wire is toroidal in shape. This packaging shape is generally maintained by radial binding straps or wires which pass through the central axial space and wrap around a cross section of the volume of wire to be bound in a radial loop which will prevent the wire from unwinding.
When commercial volumes of heavy gauge wire are spooled, the weight of such volumes of wire become an issue in handling, packaging and transporting them. For example, typical volumes of bulk material baling wire are too heavy to be moved, stored or transported without the use of machinery such as fork trucks. These bound toroids of wire, conventionally referred to as “cores,” are difficult to handle by fork truck and may be damaged by fork truck handling, unless they are placed on a handling aide such as a pallet. Handling wire cores by pallet still necessitates placing the core on the pallet to begin with, and later removing it from the pallet for placement in a position for its ultimate use.
There is a need in the industry for increasing the speed, ease, efficiency and economy with which material like wire is spooled.
Apparatuses and methods for winding and binding wire into cores are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,129,658 to Valente; U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,712 to Paletzki; U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,311 to Hill et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,761 to Hill. Various wire binders are known, See U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,739 to Glasson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,568 to Martelee; U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,510 to Glasson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,805 to Glasson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,845 to Francois; U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,728 to Elineau; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,720 to Elineau. Various core handling devices have also been developed. See, U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,492 to Gilvar; U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,210 to Lingemann; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,755 to Bohlmark. None of these systems, however, solve the problem of handling and transporting the heavy wire cores output by these and other prior art machines.